Chapter 25 -Texting

After that friendly date with Jin, one would’ve thought that I was, perhaps, relieved with what I knew by now. After all, according to Jin’s story, Daehyun didn’t seem to like Yuna romantically. Not back then and so, most likely, not right now either. The truth was that it wasn’t much of a relief however. In fact, I had more trouble in separating two parties that were fighting each other within me. One of those parties told me to let go of the idea of Daehyun. Simply because entangling myself with him could cause my heart to wrench. This party was most definitely the rational, cold, mind. The other one, on the other hand, told me to be hopeful in trying to win Daehyun over. That part was most definitely my stupid, warm, heart.

Feeling warm was naturally the most comfortable feeling and so it would’ve sounded likely to go with my heart and, at least, attract Daehyun’s attention somehow. But despite me being somewhere hopeful about the two of us, I hadn’t particularly tried to gain his attention. I hadn’t dared to after all.

And so two boring weeks had flown by pretty quickly. Two weeks wherein nothing special had happened. The only exciting thing or ‘progress’ Daehyun and I had made was that in which Daehyun would occasionally wink at me whenever we would make eye contact during lunch break. I figured that it was his way of messing with me as he would laugh to himself after seeing my flustered reaction – every time. But besides those wink incidents there was no excitement. Not any conversation. No encounters at Jea’s. Nothing. And while there was nothing between me and Daehyun there was most definitely something with Chaerin.

‘’I need to tell you guys something.’’ Chaerin seemed to sparkle as we were strolling towards the mall. Within a week it would be Saturday the first of March and that meant that it would be Chaerin’s 19^th birthday. It was something the girl liked to make a big deal over. As she did every year.

‘’Is it another brilliant idea regarding your birthday?’’ Jea mocked as she playfully rolled her eyes and earned herself a playful push from Chaerin.

‘’Well that too, but this is something different.’’

‘’What is it then?’’ I asked curiously. Chaerin began to walk slower the moment I had asked the question and that’s when both Jea and I turned slightly to face her, our eyes narrowed, as her walking slower had resulted in a fair distant between us.

Chaerin stood still by now, obviously trying to suppress a wide grin on her face – which was failing. ‘’I’m not single anymore!’’ She half exclaimed as she showed her hand and pointed to her ring finger. There was no ring on her finger, however, which caused both Jea and I more to laugh than to actually realize how serious her statement was.

‘’Finally,’’ I muttered after the announcement finally sank in. Jea immediately skipped back to Chaerin and embraced her as she squealed. It was no surprise that Jea was probably just as excited as Chaerin was. I frowned upon the two of them as they acted as if they had won the lottery. That was until Daehyun somehow managed to squeeze his way into my thoughts. I realized that if I were to be Chaerin, and Daehyun were to be Yongguk, I would probably have been just as happy as Chaerin seemed like now. And that was a scary thought as it proved that I was growing fonder of him, while his notorious reputation should’ve done the opposite.

‘’Who is the lucky guy?’’ I joked good-naturedly as I snapped out of my thoughts about the guy who had the ability to make everything regarding my feelings oh-so complicated.

‘’Daehyun,’’ she spoke nonchalantly, something that caught me off guard.

‘’Ha-ha Chaerin,’’ I remarked dryly. Her smirk became more mischievous as she probably figured out that I took quite the liking to the said guy. She had, once, caught him winking at me and that’s when she probably also noticed that I had been blushing mildly. She had confronted me a couple times about it but somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to admit that I liked Daehyun out loud. It was as if my pride wouldn’t allow me to. It was as if my rational mind wouldn’t allow me to.

‘’How did he ask?’’ Jea asked with doe eyes.

Chaerin motioned for a bench a couple of meters further away and we casually sat down before she spoke: ‘’He wouldn’t have asked it if I hadn’t given him a little push.’’

‘’What?’’ Both Jea and I asked simultaneously, our brows knitted in confusion.

‘’I knew that he must’ve liked me. I mean, the signs were there after all. Yet he couldn’t really admit it to me. I guess guys are as proud as girls are. Honestly I got pretty tired of him not making us official already and so I listened to Girls’ Day’s Female President, gathered some courage and forced him to ask me,’’ she laughed as her index finger poked her cheek cutely.

‘’How could you possibly force someone to ask you to be someone’s girlfriend?’’ I asked suspiciously.

‘’Well it wasn’t actually forcing, it was hinting rather. We were talking, flirting even and at some point I randomly send him a link of Beyoncé’s Single Ladies. He had send me question marks in response and I simply told him to get the hint.’’

Both Jea and I laughed hysterically by now, not even minding that we were in public – luckily it wasn’t really crowded anyway. Chaerin was so crazy. How would one even come up with this?

‘’What, that’s smart right?’’ She laughed along, ‘’I even send him a link with Korean subtitles so he would understand! You know just to be sure! The lyrics didn’t completely cover our situation but he got the point of the chorus, which told that him that if he liked it he should put a ring on it. He got the hint, when I briefly met him this morning he asked me if he was allowed to put a ring on me. In which I simply replied a yes.’’

I couldn’t stop laughing. I simply couldn’t. Bang Yongguk sure was lucky to have such a funny refreshing girlfriend as Chaerin. Who actually did this after all?

‘’I swear, you’re crazy Kim Chaerin,’’ I laughed as I shook my head both in amazement and disbelieve.

‘’Music is love,’’ Chaerin sang playfully before a grin from ear to ear appeared.

 ‘’Now that you guys know,’’ Chaerin expression suddenly turned into a serious one, ‘’we need to tend to the next thing. As for my birthday, I thought about throwing a slumber party with you guys and most of my friends in class and some other friends. Girls only.’’

‘’Aren’t you getting a little old for sleepover?’’ I questioned with raised brows.

‘’What are you talking about? They’re tradition!’’ Chaerin defended as her hands casually checked if her perfect bun was still as perfect as it always was. It was.

‘’Yes, with just the three of us during a normal weekend, not on your actual birthday with your other female friends,’’ Jea remarked dryly.

‘’You know what they say: the more the merrier right?’’

‘’Well it’s your birthday so, we’ll do what you want,’’ I shrugged. Honestly I couldn’t care less what we’d do. It was her birthday and therefore it was her day. If she wanted to bungee jump I would go along simply because that was my duty as a best friend. Or actually, no. That much I wouldn’t do. But the point still remained that I would do quite a lot for her.

‘’Okay, so what do you have planned exactly?’’ Jea asked interested. By now we had stood up from the bench. We walked along Chaerin as she leaded us to a shop she probably wanted us to go.

‘’I thought about just getting together, play games such as truth or dare and make cocktails or something. Things like that. Oh yeah and take lots of pictures!’’ She beamed excitedly.

‘’That sounds nice,’’ Jea nodded. As did I. Honestly I felt nothing for a crowded party, so a simple girl get together indeed sounded more appealing. Though, on the other hand, girls get together also were an opportunity for superficial problems, gossip and boy-talk. And that wasn’t all too appealing to me either.

‘’So what are we in the mall for?’’ I asked as I eyed the said place.

‘’I need to get myself new cute PJ’s. We also need to buy decorations and I need to visit a shop where they sell a certain game I need to buy. Don’t worry I researched everything so we can be gone as quick as possible,’’ she added that last sentence as she probably took notice of the slightly tired expression on my part once she rambled about what was supposed to be done. If there was one thing tiring, it was shopping with Chaerin. Jea didn’t actually mind since she was about the same as Chaerin. I, on the other hand, would often rest and watch the bags as they would explore the shops.

I listened only half interested as Chaerin explained what kind of sleep wear she was looking for. Apparently it had to be cute with a touch of y. Why any of this mattered while there would be only girls attending was beyond me. I heaved a sigh as I noticed the two of them getting more excited by the minute while I, on the other hand, wasn’t – exactly.

That’s when I felt the vibration of my phone through my pocket.

I noticed that I was holding my breath as I secretly hoped that it would be a text. A text from a certain someone, that is. I had been hoping that every time my phone would buzz, only to be often greeted with disappointed as it would mostly turn out to be a simple text from my parents or Jea and Chaerin. I in a breath as I quite nervously tapped on the KakaoTalk application.  

Daehyun: Hi

And that’s when I slowly exhaled as my heart fluttered at the message. His message. My head felt warm and I couldn’t stop the sudden grin that sneaked its way up my face. I wondered how it was even possible for him to almost kill me with a simple greeting. I wondered how my feelings for him had grown so rapidly without something actually really happening between us. Perhaps it was just that, the lingering, that made him so much more of a dream to me.

I glanced over Chaerin and Jea, who didn’t seem to notice that I hadn’t been saying anything, for quite a while. I thanked the heavens for Daehyun talking to me at a perfect time like this. Shopping didn’t seem all too bad and annoying anymore.

Aerin: Hi

‘’Aerin where are you going? This is the place,’’ Chaerin furrowed her brows as she watched me walking past the shop since I had been staring at my phone screen so intently.

‘’Oh,’’ I muttered, ‘’right.’’

I followed them into a half sleepwear half lingerie shop, totally unaware of it, before I casually sat on the pouf that had been laid out for customers. It was the only thing I had focused on as I had immediately searched for a place to sit. That’s when I finally looked up from my phone and was greeted with the sight of y bras, and other night wear.

‘’Aren’t you going to look for something too?’’ Chaerin asked as she watched me, then my phone, with questioning eyes.

I shook my head. ‘’No, you guys should search for your y PJ’s. I will be waiting right here on this comfortable pouf,’’ I faintly smiled. When I felt my phone vibrate once again I couldn’t help but to smile a bit wider. Chaerin seemed to notice as she suspiciously narrowed her eyes at me before she shook it off and allowed herself to be dragged away by Jea, whom was pointing toward the section with the cute onesies.

Daehyun: What’s up?

Aerin: Just lingerie shopping

I pressed send, only curious as what he were to respond to this. Somehow I felt so ecstatic for being able to talk to Daehyun. There was a certain playful side of me resurfacing. Not for a moment was I actually thinking about how complicated everything regarding this guy was. For once, I allowed my heart to go over the rational - always overanalyzing - mind. For once I allowed myself to feel blissful since Daehyun had the ability to make me feel like that as much as he had the ability to do completely otherwise.

Daehyun: Hadn’t expected that one

Daehyun: y…

Aerin: I'm not here to buy for myself though

Daehyun: Why? You should, then send me a picture afterwards :)

I shook my head as I read his message, not being able to suppress the smile that was growing so wide that it was hurting my jaw. If this were to be said by any other guy I would have been seriously creeped out by now. Everything was different with Jung Daehyun though. I just knew how he would be looking if he were to say this straight to my face. He would have wiggled his eyebrows before his signature smirk would appear. And that was the charming thing about Daehyun, he could make the cheesiest or erted lines sound like a perfectly playful flirty jokes – even through mediums such as KakaoTalk.

Aerin: You wouldn’t be able to handle it

Daehyun: That's probably true

Daehyun: I would go crazy

I was actually laughing, a bit loud, by now. How I, now, wished I could be home so I shouldn’t have to hold all the emotions in. I wanted to scream out of happiness. I wanted to squeal out of cheesiness and most importantly I wanted to snuggle up against my covers as I would smile all the time without looking like a total weirdo to every random passerby – or in this case customer.

Daehyun: but seriously what are you doing there then?

Aerin: Chaerin... and Jea, mostly Chaerin

Aerin: It’s almost her birthday and she’s going to throw a slumber party

Aerin: Apparently she feels the need to wear this cute yet y pajama so that she can take lots of pictures

I don’t know why I was telling him all of this. Just talking to Daehyun about anything - everything - was just so nice for some reason.

Daehyun: Girl logic

Aerin: Exactly

Daehyun: But seriously, are you going to send me cute pictures of yourself in PJ's... or not?

Aerin: Perhaps in your dreams I will :')

Daehyun: You were already in your PJ's in my dream

I got flustered as I read his message. I think I was even turning faintly red by now.

‘’This one or this one?’’ Chaerin bursted my bubble with her sudden presence as she held up two different pieces of sleep wear.

‘’Uh… I think that one is better,’’ I pointed absent-mindedly, my mind actually still on Daehyun last remark, which I had no idea how to reply to.

‘’Are you kidding me? You’re barely looking!’’ She laid the two items next to me - on the pouf - before she crossed her arms and looked down at me with furrowed brows.

‘’Who are you texting Park Aerin?’’ She asked sternly.

‘’N- No one,’’ I lied terribly.

‘’Yeah right, let me see your phone then,’’ she spoke, her arms stretched so that I could hand my phone to her. Something I had, of course, no intention of doing.

I only shook my head and that’s when she made a grabbing motion for the device.

‘’No!’’ I almost yelled as I struggled to keep my phone away from her. Chaerin only narrowed her eyes at me once she had given up.

‘’You sure are sneaky,’’ I heard her mutter, quite amused, as she got both the pieces from the pouf and walked away, probably searching for Jea to ask for her useful opinion. I sighed a breath of relief and immediately checked my phone again. Realizing that I should respond.

Aerin: Yeah right, liar

The answer had sounded skeptical and there was no response for quite a while. I checked my phone almost every second, every second in which he didn’t answer being too long. After approximately fifteen minutes, we had long left the store as we were in the next one, he finally answered. The time span wherein he finally decided to answer wasn’t something I would normally care much about, but now with Daehyun I somehow did. It made me wonder all kinds of silly things. I for example wondered, if his attention was on someone else now. Or, whether my response was, perhaps, a bit rude or distant and therefore annoying. Should I have used a flirty comeback instead? I reasoned, that that would be so… direct though? What was I supposed to respond to that thing he had said? A, what were we doing in your dreams then? In which I would give him the opportunity to say something totally erted? I didn’t want him to view me as desperate for him, though I perhaps kind of was already. A girl shouldn’t give in all too easily right?

Daehyun: I would never lie to you :)

I felt hot as I read that.

Aerin: So you’re telling me that you dreamt about me? In PJ’s…

‘’Aerin can you check whether they have an inflatable number 19 decoration lying around?’’ Chaerin asked, forcing me to pay attention to her rather than my phone. Honestly I had been quite anti-social and I actually never really was.

‘’Sure, what color?’’ I asked as I mildly scolded myself for not being a bit more helpful to Chaerin.

‘’Red,’’ she simply answered before she instructed Jea to search for balloons as she would search for plastic cocktail glasses.

I walked through the, party, store searching for that what Chaerin had asked for. All the while telling myself that I should first do what was asked of me before I should look at my phone again. This store was cluttered though as there seemed to be millions of racks all filled with little unnecessary things. I had no idea where to look. After minutes that felt like hours - since I desperately wanted to answer Daehyun - I found what Chaerin had wanted. I made my way over to her and threw the item in her basket. She smiled satisfied before the both of us walked towards Jea, who had been watching all the choices in balloons as if her life depended on it. As Chaerin and Jea were discussing which color of balloons they should buy I took the opportunity to pay attention to my phone again.

Daehyun: I did

Aerin: Okay... that doesn't sound weird at all

Daehyun: Are you not going to ask me what I dreamt exactly?

‘’Okay miss-my-phone-is-so-interesting, I think we are done here. I thought I should just tell you since you’re so occupied that you probably wouldn’t even notice if we were to leave you behind here,’’ Chaerin suddenly spoke before she nodded towards the check-out, telling me to follow her. There wasn’t anything ill in the way she spoke, so I knew for a fact that she was just teasing me in which I responded with my signature, playful, roll of the eyes.

After that we visited a shop in which Chaerin bought a game called topic starter. According to her it was fun to play the said game during a slumber party. I trusted her word on it. It was the last thing we bought before we parted ways as Jea were to meet her dad and Chaerin suddenly got a message of her new boyfriend in which he asked to see a movie. Honestly I was a bit envious as it left me with no one. Except Daehyun of course, who I hadn’t answered for quite a while. All because I had focused on my friends rather than my phone. As I finally rode the bus I had the time to answer him.

Aerin: Do I want to know?

There was no immediate response. Something I was sulky about despite realizing that I had done the same to him. Once I got home I was instantly greeted with a smell that brought inner happiness. Mom had baked cheesecake. After a fair time of catching up with my mother I finally went upstairs and decided to, already, change into my sleep clothes. It was only 19:00 PM, but I figured that I wouldn’t go out anymore anyway. Once I got settled on my bed, laptop on my lap ready to watch whatever and in my hand the plate with cheesecake, I received an incoming text. 

Daehyun: Yes

Though Daehyun’s answer had come an hour after I had said something, the conversation naturally continued as if there were never times in which we didn’t immediately responded to each other.

Aerin: Alright, why was I in your dreams, Jung Daehyun?

Aerin: In my pajama

Daehyun: For you to wonder, for me to know :)

Aerin: ...

Daehyun: Ahahahah

Aerin: Are you going to be like that?

Daehyun: Yes

Aerin: Fine, then our conversation is over

Daehyun: Nooooo

Aerin: I'm kidding

Aerin: Don’t cry :’)

Daehyun: :'(

Aerin: Guess what I'm eating?

Daehyun: Dak bulgogi (with Jin)

I almost choked on my cheesecake as I read that. How did he know and more importantly why was he bringing something up from weeks ago?

Aerin: Were you stalking me

Daehyun: You were practically eating in my restaurant, I think you were stalking me

Aerin: That doesn't make sense

There was only one explanation about how Daehyun got to know about this, and that explanation resolved around Yuna. It made me wonder how often the two of them talked. It made me wonder why they would even talk about me - and Jin - in the first place. Somewhere it didn’t surprise me though, I bet that they were so natural with each other that they would probably often talk about how their day went. And so it didn’t even sound too crazy that she would tell him that she had seen and served the two of us.

Daehyun: Anyway, did you enjoy yourself?

Aerin: I did, thank you very much

Daehyun: You and Jin... are close?

Aerin: You can say that

We weren’t that close, but I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to see how Daehyun would react. I was hoping that I could, somehow, evoke some sort of reaction out of him. A reaction that would perhaps tell me whether he cared or not.

Daehyun: Cool

It wasn’t exactly the response I had hoped to get but then again what else should I have expected? It wasn’t like we were anything in the slightest anyway.

Aerin: So aren’t you going to guess what I am eating?

Daehyun: Hmm

Daehyun: I don’t know

Daehyun: Send me a picture

And I immediately did as he told me to. I grabbed the fork that held a chunk of the cheesecake and put it in front of my mouth, pretending to eat it cutely, as I took a picture. The result wasn’t nearly as satisfying as I had hoped it would and so it took me a good five minutes before I actually clicked a photo that wasn’t all too embarrassing to send. Though I wasn’t completely satisfied about this particular shot either. I guess I just wasn’t all that photogenetic anyway.

Daehyun: I want too!

Aerin: Too bad

Daehyun: Okay well, then I'm going to save you as my screensaver

Aerin: No! That photo isn't even pretty!

Daehyun: It is

I couldn’t help but to smile at his last text. In fact, I noticed that I wasn’t able to wipe this stupid grin off altogether. I guess it was very safe to say that Daehyun was making me like him more and more. It was safe to say that I was so deep into this already, into him already, that I didn’t care about all the other things regarding him anymore.Things like, if he was perhaps leading me on as he had done with Yuna. It was like my warm heart was winning over the rational overanalyzing mind anyway.

And me losing my rationality sure was scary.

Oh boy, I was in trouble.